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ARISC Graduate Fellowships

ARISC Graduate Fellowships

The American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) announces the availability of US graduate fellowships in support of research in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, and/or Azerbaijan).  Awards will be made for a maximum of $1500 each.  Projects in all fields in the social sciences and humanities are eligible. Proposals will be judged on their quality and on the potential of the research to strengthen scholarship on the Southern Caucasus. The purpose of the fellowship is to help cover travel and/or living expenses in the Southern Caucasus. During his/her stay in the Southern Caucasus, the fellow is expected to give an ARISC sponsored presentation on a subject related to his/her research. The fellow will acknowledge ARISC in any publication that emerges from the research carried out during the fellowship.

Application requirements: Please send a complete application including the application form, a project statement of not more than 3 pages, work schedule, budget, and curriculum vitae, by December 30, 2011 to info "at" arisc.org. Two letters of recommendation must also be submitted.  All information must be received by December 30, 2011 in order for the applicant to be considered for the fellowship.

Terms and Conditions

  1. Fellowships will support study and research in the humanities and social sciences.
  2. Graduate students enrolled in accredited degree-granting programs in the US are eligible for the fellowship.
  3. Fellowships will be awarded to U.S. citizens only. Proof of citizenship (i.e. photocopy of passport, etc.) must be shown upon award notification.
  4. Applicants must propose and conduct field research in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, and/or Azerbaijan).
  5. Fellows must complete their fellowships by August 31, 2012. Any unused portion of the stipend must be returned to ARISC by this date.
  6. This program provides stipends of up to $1,500 per fellow.
  7. Given changing travel restrictions and/or travel warnings to many countries, fellows should contact ARISC prior to purchasing airfare.
  8. A report is required to be submitted to ARISC within 30 days of fellowship completion and no later than September 30, 2012.
  9. While ARISC encourages scholars to apply to other federal and private sources in addition to the ARISC graduate fellowships, ARISC fellows who receive additional awards must contact ARISC immediately to discuss possible date and stipend adjustments.
  10. ARISC is unable to provide health or other insurance to its fellows. Fellows are required to supply ARISC with proof of health insurance as well as emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains insurance before leaving the United States.
  11. Fellowship recipients are eligible to reapply for a second graduate fellowship three years after their most recent award.
  12. ARISC does not advise fellows on tax questions concerning their stipend.

Selection Process

Fellows will be selected by the ARISC grants panel made up of scholars with experience conducting regional and trans-regional research. Please note that readers may not be specialists in your field. Applicants will be judged according to the following criteria:

  • Merits of the proposal for significance, relevance, and potential contribution to regional and/or trans-regional scholarly research;
  • Applicant qualifications;
  • Research design and methodology;
  • Significance to the applicant's field;
  • Significance to needs and interests of host country and ARISC;
  • Feasibility in terms of resources and amount of time allocated to the project;
  • Need for residence in host country to accomplish the project;
  • Proficiency in language required to complete research project, if applicable.

Notification

Notification of fellowship status will be made available to each applicant via email in February 2012.

Samples of past awards

2011:

- Eli Feiman (Brown University): Cohesion, Coercion, and Compromise: Parties of Power in the South Caucasus, 1988-Present.
- Melissa Gayan (Emory University): The Forgotten Revolt: The 1956 Pro-Stalinist Protests in Soviet Georgia and its Cold-War Implications.
- Tamrika Khvtisiashvili (University of Utah): Documentation of Khinalug.

2010:

- Megan Dean (Stanford University): Neither Empire Nor Nation: Networks of Trade in the Caucasus, 1750-1925.
- Aimee Dobbs (Indiana University - Bloomington): Negotiating Public Schools for Muslims among Russian Imperial Bureaucrats, Local Administrators, and Azerbaijani Elites, 1862-1890.
- Sarah Garding (University of California, Berkeley): Courting the Nation Abroad: Diaspora Policies in Postcommunist Armenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Ukraine.

Tips for Applying
·      Meet the eligibility guidelines and the application deadline.
·      Read and follow the instructions.|
·      Include only the information and materials requested and observe limitations on length.
·      Submit application via email as attachments using an MS Word or PDF format.

Tips for Letters of Recommendations
·      The applicant is responsible for notifying referees of their request for letters and for ensuring those letters are submitted to ARISC by the deadline.
·      All references must be in English.
·      Ph.D. candidates must submit one letter from their academic advisor.
·      Do not submit more references than the 2 required.
·      References must be sent by the referee, by email.

Important Notes Regarding Applications
·      Funding is not available for research conducted in the United States.
·      ARISC’s method of submission is via email. Once an application is submitted it cannot be resubmitted or edited.
·      Letters of recommendation must be emailed by the application deadline and received no more than a week later.
·      Notification of fellowship status will be made available to each applicant via email in February 2012. Fellows are advised that it can take up to six months to obtain the necessary research clearance and should plan accordingly.